Congratulations!

You have successfully submitted your application and you are now awaiting your acceptance, or better yet, you already have your acceptance letter but are now wondering what is next! (Alternatively, you are reading this in advance and are a well researched kind of person - go you.)

It's time to sit down and really reflect on
what you want from your Study Abroad Experience!

So what is next?

For Bilateral Applicants:

For Bilateral Applicants, the whole process is pretty simple. You apply, they say yes or no and then you get on with organising the final pieces of your experience, e.g. acquiring a visa and a flight.

Basically, once your chosen host institution accepts your application, you are put into contact with the Exchange Coordinator on their side. You then work together with them to sort out the rest of the pre-departure processes necessary in order for you to arrive at your host institution. This therefore results in the University of Chester Exchange Coordinator becoming your second call for help, not your first.

Get ready to make some awesome memories!

For ISEP Applicants:

For ISEP Applicants, the process has a few more separated steps.

First, your application is sent to ISEP itself and they decide where they would like to place you, i.e. they pick the best fit from your preference list. You then receive a preliminary placement letter telling you which place they have chosen for you. This does NOT mean that you are going there!

Second, your application is sent by ISEP to the chosen host institution. The institution itself then has the chance to accept or decline you. You then receive a host institution acceptance letter. THIS is the letter you must wait for as a final acceptance.

Third and lastly, you as the applicant now get to accept your placement. If you have done your application process properly, you should be 100% happy to sign that acceptance letter no matter where they placed you. If you are not happy with the placement they have assigned you, then your only option is to withdraw and loose your application fee and the chance to study abroad. DO NOT be that person.

You should be THIIIIIIIIIS ready to accept your placement!

Along with your signed acceptance letter, you must pay the ISEP Insurance fees through their website: link here. This will mean that you are covered for a variety of things whilst on your placement, however, this insurance does not cover everything. Please read all of their information on the website properly and decide for yourself whether you need extra insurance or not. If you wish to travel before or after your ISEP placement, you will also need to research your own insurance.

This application acceptance is extremely important to complete as quickly as possible, especially if you are applying to study in the US. As they will only send your DS 2019 (the first form which you need to apply to your visa) once you have accepted your placement. The time taken for you to sign the contract, send it back and for them to send you the visa form is all time and money wasted since you shouldn't book flights until you have your visa. For other countries, you are likely to need your placement congratulations letter in order to prove that you are in fact going to be studying in their country, so haste at this stage is generally important no matter where you have applied.

You don't want anything stopping you from seeing that out-of-plane-window view!

For Failed Applicants:

First of all, before you get scared, this is extremely unlikely. For one, any issues which could stop you from being accepted will normally show up before you have even finished your application process. Second, if you are an ISEP Applicant, it is ISEP's responsibility to find you an alternative suitable placement so an outright no is almost impossible. For Bilateral Applicants, the Chester Coordinator will approach an alternative Bilateral Partner on your behalf if you wish to do so.

If you withdraw from the application at any stage after submitting your application, unfortunately you do loose your non-refundable application fee but I repeat myself, the chances of getting no host institution to accept your placement is extremely unlikely.